NGC 4402 explained

NGC 4402
Epoch:J2000
Constellation Name:Virgo
Ra:[1]
Z:0.000774
H Radial V:232[2]
Dist Ly:14.833+/-
Group Cluster:Virgo Cluster
Type:(d)Sc[3]
Size:55000abbr=onNaNabbr=on[4]
Appmag B:12.55
Size V:2.967' × 0.593'
Notes:Edge-on spiral galaxy near Markarian's Chain
Names:UGC 7528, MCG+02-32-044, PGC 40644, VCC 873

NGC 4402 is a relatively near, edge-on spiral galaxy located around 50 million light-years from Earth. It is in the constellation of Virgo within the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It can be seen when viewing Markarian's Chain.

NGC 4402 is roughly 55 thousand light-years wide and is moving away from Earth at around 232 kilometers per second. It is falling into the Virgo galaxy cluster. Images show evidence that the material it once contained to enable it to form stars has been stripped away in a process known as "ram-pressure stripping". This is due to NGC 4402's cooler gasses being struck by hot x-ray gasses coming from the middle of the Virgo galaxy cluster as it moves toward it. The evidence is as follows:[5] [6] [7]

NGC 4402 will likely transition into a jellyfish galaxy as it falls further towards the center of the galaxy cluster. GALEX observations of the galaxy do not appear to show trailing gas, dust and star formation streamers extending from the disc, indicating that the galaxy has likely begun to feel the effects of the ram pressure stripping only recently. NGC 4402 will likely lose a significant fraction of its star formation material to this process, rendering it an anemic galaxy.

One supernova has been observed in NGC 4402 : SN 1976B (type unknown, mag. 16.5) was discovered by Miklós Lovas on 28 February 1976.[8] [9]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. 10.1086/498708 . Skrutskie . Michael F. . Cutri . Roc M. . Stiening . Rae . Weinberg . Martin D. . Schneider . Stephen E. . Carpenter . John M. . Beichman . Charles A. . Capps . Richard W. . Chester . Thomas . Elias . Jonathan H. . Huchra . John P. . Liebert . James W. . Lonsdale . Carol J. . Monet . David G. . Price . Stephan . Seitzer . Patrick . Jarrett . Thomas H. . Kirkpatrick . J. Davy . Gizis . John E. . Howard . Elizabeth V. . Evans . Tracey E. . Fowler . John W. . Fullmer . Linda . Hurt . Robert L. . Light . Robert M. . Kopan . Eugene L. . Marsh . Kenneth A. . McCallon . Howard L. . Tam . Robert . Van Dyk . Schuyler D. . Wheelock . Sherry L. . The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) . The Astronomical Journal . 1 February 2006 . 131 . 2 . 1163–1183 . 2006AJ....131.1163S . 18913331 . 0004-6256 . free .
  2. Web site: NED results for object NGC 4402. 3 February 2017. .
  3. NGC 4402.
  4. Web site: New General Catalog Objects: NGC 4400 – 4449. Courtney Seligman. 3 February 2017.
  5. Web site: National Optical Astronomy Observatory. noao.edu. 4 October 2015. 7 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060333/https://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0863.html. dead.
  6. Web site: NGC 4402, an edge-on spiral galaxy in Virgo – Anne's Astronomy News. annesastronomynews.com. 4 October 2015. 2013-04-15.
  7. Web site: NOAO Press Release 04-06: Galaxy Cleaned Out by Encounter with Hot Cluster Gas. noao.edu. 4 October 2015. 6 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161006062550/http://www.noao.edu/outreach/press/pr04/pr0406.html. dead.
  8. 1976IAUC.2935....1S . Supernova in NGC 4402 . Szeidl . B. . Lovas . M. . International Astronomical Union Circular . 1976 . 2935 . 1 .
  9. Web site: Transient Name Server . SN1976B . . 3 December 2024.

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